1. Field of the Disclosure
The present disclosure generally relates to a media processing device, and more specifically, to a cleaning member employed in a media processing device.
2. Description of the Related Art
A media processing device, such as an electrophotographic image forming device, is typically employed to generate a printed image on a media sheet. Suitable examples of the electrophotographic image forming device include laser printer, copying machine, multifunctional peripheral and the like. Suitable examples of the media sheet include, but are not limited to, paper, transparencies, textiles substrates, non-woven substrates, canvas substrates, and cellulose substrates.
The electrophotographic image forming device includes a photoconductor drum (hereinafter referred to as a “PC drum”) composed of photoconductive materials. The PC drum is capable of photo-generating a charge on a surface thereof when contacted with a stream of photons. Further, the electrophotographic image forming device includes a charge roller composed of conductive materials for charging the PC drum to a predetermined voltage. Usually, such a predetermined voltage is required for the photo-generation of the charge on the surface of the PC drum when the PC drum is contacted with the stream of photons. Furthermore, the electrophotographic image forming device includes a developer roller for transferring a toner medium including toner particles onto the PC drum.
Usually, the stream of photons is provided by an optical assembly operatively coupled to the PC drum. The optical assembly includes a laser unit, and a plurality of mirrors and a plurality of lenses. The laser unit generates a modulated stream of photons, and subsequently, the one or more mirrors and one or more lenses are used to move the photons across the surface of the PC drum to create a temporary image to be printed (hereinafter referred as an “electrostatic latent image”).
After the generation of the electrostatic latent image, the developer roller provides the toner medium to the PC drum. The toner particles of the toner medium affix to the electrostatic latent image (due to electrostatic interactions) thereby generating a toned electrostatic latent image. The toned electrostatic latent image is then transferred and fixed onto a media sheet to generate an image on the media sheet.
During the image forming process, a particulate build-up may occur on the PC drum, and more specifically, over a peripheral surface of the PC drum. Usually, such particulate include non-transferred toner particles, paper dust, and toner additives. Further, the particulate build-up may gradually increase over a period of time resulting in deterioration of quality of the image formed by the PC drum.
In order to circumvent the aforementioned drawback, a cleaning blade may be configured to contact the PC drum for cleaning the PC drum. Usually, the cleaning blade employs mechanical means to remove the particulate from the peripheral surface of the PC drum. However, some cleaning blades may employ electrostatic means to remove the particulate from the peripheral surface of the PC drum.
Despite the use of the cleaning blade, some of the particulate may get carried away and go onto the charge roller. Consequently, such particulate may adhere to the charge roller thereby coating a peripheral surface of the charge roller. Such a coating of the peripheral surface of the charge roller may reduce roughness and electrical resistivity of the peripheral surface of the charge roller leading to a reduction in charging ability of the charge roller. The reduction in the charging ability of the charge roller causes defects in the image developed by the electrophotographic image forming device. Examples of such defects may include, but are not limited to, background fouling, darkness density unevenness, light or dark vertical streaks, and blurred print. As a result, the overall quality of the image developed by the electrophotographic image forming device degrades.
Accordingly, a cleaning member is usually configured to contact the peripheral surface of the charge roller for removing the particulate from the charge roller. The cleaning member may be in form of a roller or a pad. Suitable examples of the cleaning member in the form of the roller may include, but are not limited to, a rubber foam type roller, and a fiber brush type roller. Similarly, suitable examples of the cleaning member in the form of the pad, may include, but are not limited to, a rubber foam type pad, and a fiber brush type pad.
An example of a conventional cleaning member employed for removing particulate from the charge roller of an electrophotographic image forming device includes a flexible and an elongated substrate having a pad composed of open-cell foam. The open-cell foam has a flat surface that engages with the charge roller for removing the particulate therefrom. In addition, the conventional cleaning member is positioned between the charge roller and a surface of the electrophotographic image forming device, at a particular angle, to apply a specific cleaning pressure onto the charge roller.
However, the conventional cleaning member provides an insufficient cleaning pressure onto the charge roller. Further, it has been observed that the application of the specific cleaning pressure results in either a permanent or a semi-permanent compression of the open-cell foam of the conventional cleaning member. Such a permanent or semi-permanent compression of the open-cell foam may affect cleaning ability of the conventional cleaning member. Furthermore, the conventional cleaning member provides a large magnitude of frictional drag during cleaning the charge roller, thereby leading to frequent stalling of the charge roller.
In addition, the conventional cleaning member does not provide a wide tolerance for thickness of the open-cell foam of the cleaning member due to the inability to precisely cut the open-cell foam. Moreover, the open-cell foam of the conventional cleaning member provides insufficient volume for retaining the particulate removed from the peripheral surface of the charge roller.
Accordingly, there is a need to develop a cleaning member for use in an electrophotographic image forming device that is capable of providing sufficient cleaning pressure for effectively cleaning a charge roller of the electrophotographic image forming device without causing any frequent stalling of the charge roller. Further, the cleaning member should be designed in a specific manner in order to prevent any likelihood of physical damage thereof during a cleaning operation. Furthermore, the cleaning member should efficaciously retaining particulate removed from the charge roller for proper cleaning thereof and thus help increase the effective lifetime of the electrophotographic image forming device.